SALAMANDRA VENENOSA. 69 



inhabiting South Carolina, and refer it to the Salamander represented in the beak 

 of the Ardea herodias of Catesby, which animal Say supposes to be identical 

 with the Salamandra dorsalis. Catesby's Salamander is probably neither one 

 nor the other, if his description is to be relied on. 



General Remarks. The history of our acquaintance with the Salamandra 

 venenosa is as follows. In 1803, Dr. Barton obtained a living specimen of it from 

 the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, which he presented to the American Philo- 

 sophical Society, accompanied with a description and figure of the animal; but 

 under what specific name does not appear, for I have consulted the records of 

 the society, and they simply state, that a paper of this kind was read by Dr. 

 Barton, and referred to a committee, consisting of Latrobe and others. 



Now it is possible that Latrobe, or perhaps Dr. Barton himself, might have 

 given some account of the animal to Rafinesque, or that he (Rafinesque) might 

 have been present at the reading of the paper, for certain it is that he sent a 

 good description to Daudin, who published it in his work under the specific name 

 it now bears, which was probably given by Barton, and communicated through 

 Rafinesque to Daudin, for the latter gives the specific name as one imposed by 

 Dr. Barton. 



Six years after, Barton published his account of the same animal in the sixth 

 volume of the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, under the name 

 Lacerta (Salamandra) sub-violacea, from its colour. It would appear then that 

 the specific name Venenosa is the appropriate one, at least so far as regards 

 priority, as it was first published by Daudin, with a reference to Barton, who had 

 no right to change a specific name, even though imposed by himself, after it had 

 been once published to the scientific world. 



Vol. V.— 10 



